The present invention relates to the art of curling brooms and in particular to so-called push brooms, sometimes also referred to as curling brushes.
For many years, the only type of broom used in the game of curling was a sweeping broom and many different embodiments of such sweeping brooms have been introduced in the market.
Approximately three years ago, some curlers began using, with considerable success, so-called push brooms or curling brushes, generally of the type well known from the art of cleaning. In general, the push broom is typical by a solid, rigid block, usually of rectangular plan, from whose top surface protrudes a handle at an angle and whose bottom is provided with bristles for polishing the ice. The reason for recent success of curling brushes is mainly seen in that the curling brushes provide more subtle control of the sweeping or polishing action, as may be required during the game of curling.
The known curling push brooms or brushes have always used bristles, either synthetic (usually nylon) or natural (horse hair or pig bristles). The bristles of push brooms are of substantially different physical characteristics from corn bristles normally used in the sweeping brooms of the type. The bristles of a push broom must be considerably more rigid than corn bristles used in sweeping brooms. If a corn bristle from a sweeping broom is left on ice during the sweeping action, the corn debris poses undesired obstacles for the smooth sliding of curling rocks. The problem of contaminating the ice sheet surface has become considerably more substantial with the advent of the push brooms. It was found out that the bristles normally used in push brooms, if left on ice as a debris, have a considerably more undesired effect. It has been observed that a push broom bristle contaminating the surface of ice, when encountered by a sliding rock, considerably changes the direction of travel of the rock. Unlike the corn debris, the debris of particles of push broom bristles has a tendency of embedding itself into the ice surface when encountered by a rock. As a result, it is not uncommon that the debris completely changes the direction of movement of the sliding rock or, in many instances, simply stops the sliding motion of the rock within a few feet. On the other hand, due to the improved fineness of control of the sweeping action when using the curling brush, the curling brushes continue to be an increasingly popular substitute for the classical sweeping broom.
An object of the present invention is not only to avoid the above drawbacks of curling push brooms but also to further improve the efficiency thereof by rendering the broom more versatile for different purposes. Another object of the present invention is to increase the operation life of a curling push broom. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate the production of such push broom and to thus reduce the cost thereof. Still another object of the invention is to provide a curling push broom which, apart from relatively inexpensive production, has an aesthetically pleasing appearance.